1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a drain plug device for operating a plug lid for a drain port provided to a tank.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, an overflow port is sometimes provided to a side wall of a tank (for example, a bath tub) so as to prevent water from overflowing from the tank. Also, it is known that a drain plug device in which a plug lid provided to a drain port of the tank is remotely operated (to open or close the drain port) by providing a certain operation portion at an overflow port and remotely controlling the operation portion.
Such a drain plug device may include an operation handle rotatably (pivotably) provided to an overflow port, and a transmission member for transmitting a driving force generated by a rotation of the operation handle to a plug lid (for example, see Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2006-9562). In accordance with the technology described in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2006-9562, water to be drained flows through a gap between a cover rosette corresponding to the operation handle and a sidewall of the tank, through an opening provided to the cover rosette, and then is drained from the overflow port.
However, in accordance with the above-mentioned technology, the cover rosette is always in such a state that the cover rosette is relatively largely protruding from the sidewall of the tank. Thus, it may interfere with the use of peripheral equipment of the tank such as a shower, making the use of the peripheral equipment troublesome to a certain extent (for example, a shower hose may be caught by the cover rosette when a shower head is moved). In addition, it is not aesthetically attractive for users to see the cover rosette always largely protruding from the sidewall of the tank, giving an untidy impression. In addition, such a largely protruding cover rosette is not a desirable condition for a safety reason, either.
On the other hand, there is an option to provide the operation handle (cover rosette) as close as possible to the sidewall so as to reduce an amount of protrusion of the operation handle (cover rosette) with respect to the sidewall. However, since this option also inevitably reduces the gap between the operation handle (cover rosette) and the sidewall, a draining efficiency at the overflow port side may become insufficient. Furthermore, it may become difficult to clean a portion located between the operation handle (cover rosette) and the sidewall.